Security Council

The Security Council held its 841st meeting on December 8, 1958, in response to an Israeli request that it convene to consider what was termed by this request an act of aggression committed on December 3, 1958, by the armed forces of the United Arab Republic against Israel territory in the Huleh area in northeast Galilee. The Council also had before it a report on the matter by the Chief of Staff of the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO). Opening the discussion, Mr. Eban, the Israeli spokesman, stated that on December 3 a Syrian army post in the area had opened fire on Israeli shepherds and on a security patrol which came to their aid. This occurred on Israel territory in the area to which the demilitarization provisions of the 1949 Agreement were not applicable, according to Mr. Eban. Later, according to Mr. Eban, defensive fire was directed by Israeli forces against the Syrian posts. Syrian forces then opened a heavy artillery barrage on seven Israeli villages. These facts were confirmed, said Mr. Eban, in the reports of UNTSO. He informed the Council that Israel had asked UNTSO for an immediate cease-fire which was set by the latter for 1700 hours. The Israelis did not fire after 1700; on the Syrian side small arms fire again broke out after dark at 1940. Mr. Eban described a radio broadcast in Hebrew from Cairo on December 4 which indicated, in his view, that Cairo and Damascus did not repent of the bombardment or promise the cessation of such acts.